Clicks from my Garden...

After a rainy afternoon my garden looked so fresh and energized... all the dust and grime washed away... green everywhere... my flowers glistened in the dampness... This motivated me to take a few pictures to share with you the colours in my garden. (Thank you rain!)

Images clicked by me

Blue and White Phase...

Blue and white décor is a great combo. Different shades of blue with white backdrop works well in any room. It gives a fresh, crisp and classic feeling. From Chinese porcelain, a decorative lamp to a table of antiques or even blue and white crockery evokes a timeless look. Here are some pictures that portray Blue and White statement.

Images via HouseBeautiful

From Vazhayila...

Two days back I had attended a friend’s son’s birthday party and it was fun and most importantly the food was yummy... I always have a broad smile when I see Kerala food! Even though I love cooking and baking, my hand in “Naadan food” is not that great... I always feel there is room for more improvement. After the party I was motivated to try out something from Kerala cuisine. "Fish Molee" was one of the highlights in the menu and I decided to make it yesterday. I stumbled upon this great Blog for Kerala cuisine and I could instantly say that this is the right one for me. It’s called “ Vazayila ” which means Plantain Leaf created by Sarah. She has done a fabulous job in compiling all her recipes. This is just the beginning for me to try out her recipes!

Click here to view her blog and here for her Fish Molee recipe. This recipe goes well with bread or “Appam”(laced rice pancake). Enjoy making it!

Images taken by me

Wedding Fever...

Today when I decided to blog on wedding inspirations I realized there is so much I could write…. Wedding decors, bouquets, ceremony, wedding dress, cakes….the list is endless. Moreover there is a wedding coming up in my family and i am already excited about it. So I bring to you the colours of Indian wedding through Marry me . They are wedding planners based in Mumbai who do an awesome job in getting everything organized and makes it perfect to your taste. They extend service across India and around the world. Check their website for tips, wedding planning, themes and other checklists. (Marry me - wedding planner in Mumbai)

Belle,the magazine is my favorite wedding blog. I came across a very interesting article on how to welcome guests for your wedding. Some of their ideas are very innovative.
I like the idea of having a personalized paper fan. It’s handy if it’s a summer wedding!

Click here to view other ideas to welcome your guests. I will come back with more posts on wedding.

Images 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 via Marry me

Images 7 and 8 via Belle,the magazine

Mirror Mirror on the wall...

Gone are the days where mirrors were only used for personal grooming. Mirrors are perfect accessories for homes. It creates an illusion of a larger space and adds more light to the room. It’s all about reflection and transformation of a room if it’s placed well. I share with you some pictures from Houzz that will inspire you to add that extra touch to your home.

contemporary dining room design by raleigh interior designer Heather Garrett Design

modern entry design by boston interior designer Rachel Reider Interiors

contemporary hall design by new york interior designer Jarlath Mellett

contemporary entry design by boston interior designer Rachel Reider Interiors

eclectic living room design by other metros media and blogs Michelle Hinckley

eclectic entry design by san francisco interior designer Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc.

If you are in crafty mood and want to play around with mirrors click here and find out what you can do. I love the tennis racket mirror!

Tennis Racket Image via countryliving


Images via Houzz

Red Velvet Cake

This recipe is shared to me by my cousin Shiney Jacob, who is an awesome cook and baker. I drool over her cakes ... I have been attending her cooking classes and thanks to her I started enjoying the art of baking and to cook as well. I am so fortunate that I have a husband who is always there to be my official “taster”. Thanks Neil and Shiney!

This recipe is actually for muffins but I ended up baking a small cake instead. If you like you can top your cake with chocolate icing instead of cream cheese frosting. (sorry chocolate lovers!)

Ingredients:

Butter – 100gm
Sugar - 100gm
Eggs – 2
Cocoa Powder – 1 tsp
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Red food colour – 2 tsp
Plain flour – 70gm
Custard Powder – 30gm
Warm water – 2 ½ tblsp


Cream Cheese Frosting:

Cream Cheese - 100gm
Heavy Whipping Cream - 1cup
Sugar - 1/2cup
Vanilla Essence – ½ tsp


Serves 4 to 6 / 10 to 12 muffins


Method:

Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy and add one egg at a time. Sieve all dry ingredients and fold it to the egg mixture. Add essence and colour and mix well. Then add warm water and mix it well using metal spoon. Grease your baking tin and pour the cake batter and bake in preheated oven at 160 C for 40-50min or till skewer comes out clean.

Icing
Beat whipping cream till its stiff. Add cream cheese and sugar and beat it till it’s smooth and spread it on the cake. If you don’t want the icing to be too sweet reduce the quantity of sugar.

(Tip: all ingredients must be in room temperature except for heavy whipping cream)


Images clicked by me

Boutique Muscat

Boutique Muscat is all about exclusivity. It’s inspired by local and worldwide talent. Their vision is to sell brands that are not available in Oman and most of their brands are from the United States. Each product is unique in their own way and they have limited stock of each design. They sell a wide variety ranging of shoes, tops to accessories.

Their boutique is so tastefully done up. If you get a chance to visit them, i guarantee you will walk out with a Boutique Muscat product. Meanwhile enjoy their Online Store and their Facebook page .


Images via Boutique Muscat